


Young Blood

by dayleenights



Category: Ejen Ali (Cartoon)
Genre: Bobby & Fit backstory centric fic, F/M, Mostly Platonic, Slow Burn, This fic is very dark, please do not read if it doesn't suit your taste, pre-EATM, serious trigger warnings, with Sera's existence as their equilibrium, with tons of angst
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-08-25
Updated: 2020-08-31
Packaged: 2021-03-06 19:20:07
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 2
Words: 12,295
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26104078
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/dayleenights/pseuds/dayleenights
Summary: (WARNING: Contains intense violence, gore and abuse that may be upsetting - read at your own risk)A street prodigy craving for freedom, desperate to break free from the chains of the devil's grasp, he wanted nothing more than to wish for a new peaceful life.A free-spirited girl with a thirst for adventure, equipped with exceptional abilities to face the dangers that awaits her and an unexpected friend she bonded along the way.A skilled agent that had been scarred by his past yet sworn loyalty for M.A.T.A, crossing paths with two young blood would ultimately change everything he ever planned.When a deadly threat crept into their lives, unraveling the dark hidden secrets of the past, they were trapped in a gamble of betrayal and trust, with a promise that will either save them or kill them.“Who can you trust when no one is telling the truth?”
Relationships: BobbySera, obvsly - Relationship
Comments: 3
Kudos: 6





	1. Prologue

Today is a very special day for Bobby.

As his legs sprinted off towards one particular location he frequented the past five years, his mind wandered off to meet his aunt's family later that late-afternoon.

He had received a letter in the mail from the dear woman around a couple of days ago, informing that she would be in town after months of being outstationed due to her work at the faraway general hospital. The woman who once raised him when he was just a little toddler, Bobby practically grew up with her and had been attached to the kind woman for as long as he could remember. Unfortunately, her marriage and work life had taken a lot of her time away from the lonely young boy so Bobby rarely got to meet her anymore.

Even though she was only his aunt, she felt more like a mother than his biological mother had been to him. With the new addition to the family, her daughter and the only cousin he knew, Bobby understood how busy his aunt must be and so he missed the elder woman very much.

But today, he could finally go see her again.

Nothing brings him greater joy than spending time with her along with his uncle and little cousin.

One hand clutched a transparent plastic bag filled with freshly baked steamed buns while his other hand freely brushed past the rusting railings of the two story-building apartment stairs, he bounced up the steps excitedly and zoomed straight to one specific door.

Silently cursing his short height, Bobby stood on his tippy toes in order to press the doorbell. His ears caught hearing the familiar voices from inside the apartment. Unable to contain his giddiness, he could feel his mouth grow sore from smiling too widely.

The moment the front door creaked open-

"Bobby!"

\- a small child jumped into his arms, catching him off guard, though right immediately a jovial laugh escaped his lips.

"I missed you too Alicia!"

The 4 year-old-girl squeezed him into a bone-crushing hug. Bobby had to restrain himself from yelping in pain because of his aching back. Before he could gently peel the girl's arms from his waist, a shocked gasp tore the children's attention away from each other and they looked up where an older woman crouched down in front of the 11 year old boy.

"Great skies, Bobby," Sujin fussed worriedly, her delicate fingers touched the boy's face close, inspecting his swollen cheek and deep bruise mark on the side of his forehead, "What happened?!"

Alicia eventually noticed the wounds, took steps backwards and hugged the plush yellow rabbit Bobby had gifted to her last year. The smaller girl appeared as perturbed as her mother was when she got a clearer look on Bobby's face.

"It's nothing. Look, Ah Jing baked these and told me to share it with you!" Bobby gave an assuring smile as he held up the plastic of steamed buns up to the concerned woman, hoping she would drop the topic and wouldn't question him any further.

Sujin shot him an incredulous look, pressing her thumb gently on the purple bruise swelling on his forehead, "This means nothing?"

Bobby winced, trying to swat her hands away, "Ouch, ouch, ouch, Yi maaa that hurts!"

Her hands grabbed his shoulders in a firm yet gentle hold as she fixed her gaze on Bobby, fierce with worry. "Tell me the truth, _Xiaolang_."

He flinched whenever his aunt called him by his real name, the name that would usually be used to discipline him when he was younger or sometimes used whenever she demanded an answer from him.

Averting his eyes away from her, he spoke in a quiet voice, events that happened hours prior before he came there flashed in his mind. "J-Jiaolong tried to lock me inside the closet again.. so I fought my way out to come here..."

Sujin's frown deepened. "Where was your mother?"

At the mention of the woman, Bobby simply shrugged, "Dunno. I haven't seen her at home for weeks now."

And honestly, Bobby was relieved that his mother was out and to wherever the hell she was. Not that he ever cared for her, the one neglected him since his birth, but he can't deny that he feared the cold-hearted woman.

Around the time Bobby had just turned six-years-old, his mind had developed faster than any normal child his age and he was able to perceive how his life was _far_ from a normal one.

Or rather, normality was something he didn’t have in his biological family.

He didn’t know who his father was nor he knew if the man was still alive or dead within the gutters somewhere in the red district he lived in.

His mother was an alcoholic that disappeared and reappears whenever she feels like it and tends to let her anger out of him even when he never spoke a word to her.

His older brother takes pleasure in getting into violent fights with almost everyone he met, especially in the underground ring and he had taken an interest in using Bobby as his punching bag at any time he finds the poor boy in his sight.

That didn’t even count to the gang member’s Jiaolong had under his control that picks on the kid as much as he does.

In short, Bobby’s life was a living hell.

However, life hadn’t always been unpleasant to him - his aunt was the only proof he needed.

The woman helped his mother into nursing him when he was still in his diapers. Back then, his mother wasn’t as cruel as she was now, she simply didn’t care and merely ignored his existence when he was born.

That was, up until his aunt moved out from their house and had rebuilt a better life outside the district with a fine young man, a thriving job and blessed with a lovely daughter - his mother began to resent his aunt.

To the point his mother forbade Bobby from ever mentioning about the woman in the household. When Bobby tried to defy her for the first time, he ended up sustaining burning whip scar marks on his back that had yet faded at all.

Ever since that incident, Bobby never dared to bring up the topic of Sujin in home but that didn’t hinder the boy from secretly leaving the house to visit his beloved aunt.

She was his only hope to continue living despite the horrendous people he had to live with.

And Bobby refused to let anyone stop him from ever seeing his aunt, the only person he considered as his actual family.

"Come here, my little sunshine." Sujin sighed softly, hugging the young boy in her arms. Her heart ached for the wounded boy while he snuggled comfortably in her embrace. “Let’s treat your injuries inside.”

The moment the aunt broke away from the hug, her daughter skipped over to hold Bobby's left hand, beaming brightly up at the older boy while tugging him towards the living room.

"Where's Yi zhang?" Bobby asked, following the young girl all the while looking around the room for the older man.

"Your uncle still has work, he'll be home around dinnertime." Sujin explained, her loud voice carried all the way from the bathroom where she rushed to find the first aid-kit.

Bobby hummed in response, glancing around the tiny yet homey apartment and took a seat by one of the couches. Alicia sat beside him, hugging her plushie close to her chest.

"Gēge, does it hurt?" The Chinese girl questioned, brows furrowed in worry.

"Don't worry, I'll be fine." He pulled out one of the steamed buns - veggie filled, Alicia's favorite- from the plastic. Handing it over to the child who eagerly grabbed it, she took a big bite of the delicious food.

Bobby sighed in relief. That oughta shift her attention away from fussing over his wounds.

Something caught his attention from the corner of his eyes as he leaned over the couch, Bobby spotted his aunt's laptop, a stack of documents and a staff ID sprawled on the work table. He could only catch the glimpse of the hospital logo but couldn't see the name of his aunt's workplace. Before he could see it up close, his aunt had taken a seat in front of him and began opening the medical kit.

Bobby was silent the whole time his aunt was tending to his injuries, he’d bit his tongue from grunting due to the sharp sting of the antiseptic dabbed on his bruises so he kept his focus on her features. She had aged a lot since the last time he had seen her, the prominent wrinkles across her forehead, the weary gaze in her brown maple eyes- quite contrast from his mother who somehow maintained her youth despite the unhealthy lifestyle she’s been living. But then again, the two women were each a decade apart, it's evident how different they appear from each other.

Though frankly speaking if anyone were to ask who's the most beautiful woman in the world, Bobby would undoubtedly vote for his aunt.

The most striking thing about his aunt is the noticeable cut scar on her upper right cheek. He knows for sure she never had it when he was younger but it appeared out of nowhere at the same period of time where his aunt introduced his uncle Alex to him. When he was prompted to ask a question about it, he never got a clear answer from either of the adults, as if the mention of the scar itself was a taboo and yet his aunt didn’t seem to mind it.

Strangely enough, she seems to be fond of the scar very much.

_‘This scar marks the day I met your uncle.’_

Is what she had only told him.

And Bobby had noticed the mixture glint of guilt and admiration in the older man’s eyes whenever his aunt vaguely talked about the scar.

While others might find it odd and sometimes intimidating, she was still beautiful to Bobby, inside and out. A kind soul who he hoped would live long enough for him to repay all the sacrifices she had done for him.

“Will you be okay?” Alicia questioned, eyes brewing with pure curiosity as her mother applied comfrey ointments onto the bruised spots.

"Yep! I'm stronger than I look y’know!” Bobby playfully strikes a pose with his nonexistent muscle, earning a laugh from Alicia.

"Then, can we go to the playground today?" She asked, turning her attention to her mother in hopes the woman would allow her to play outside Bobby. It's been a while since she had last spent time with the boy who had become more like a brother to her.

"No can do sunshine." Sujin gave her daughter an apologetic smile, and she prepared for the worst when Alicia bristled at her answer.

“Whyyyy?”

"You had just recovered from your fever, so you need more rest.” The mother tried to reason with her, pulling out a bottle of cherry flavored children's Tylenol stacked among the other first-aid kit box, “Speaking of which, it's time to take your medicine."

Alicia’s expression turned sour and she took cover behind Bobby, "Don't wanna!"

"Oh sweetie, you won’t get better if you don't take your medicine, how will Bobby play with you if you’re still sick?" Sujin gave the boy a knowing look which he understood right immediately.

"That's right. You're a big girl now aren't you? So you need to take your medicine." Bobby sided with his aunt, trying to persuade the stubborn young girl.

“But mommyyyy! I wanna play outside with Bobby!” Her whines grew louder, burying her face into her cousin's shoulders while kicking her legs against the couch to show her protest.

Frustrated, Sujin blew a raspberry at her daughter’s tantrum, “She's just like you when you were small.”

Bobby sweatdropped her remark, laughing nervously when his aunt shot a playful glare at both children. He gently patted Alicia’s head in effort to comfort the sulking child. "It's okay, Alicia. We can always play again tomorrow. I promise.”

“But I get drowsy whenever I take the medicine,” Alicia pouted as she tried to argue, slinging her hands around his arms, “And I still wanna spend more time with you.”

“But I won’t get to play with you often if you keep getting sick,” Bobby mimicked her actions and Sujin had to stifle her laughter when his daughter gave into her cousin’s puppy dog eyes. “Pwetty pwease? For my sake?”

Reluctantly, Alicia let go of Bobby’s arm and sank back into the couch miserably. The mother took the chance of holding up a spoonful of the medicine syrup up near her daughter’s lips, which the girl begrudgingly swallowed, and immediately reached for the cup of plain water her mother had prepared for her.

From how her face scrunched up, Bobby was well aware Alicia was visibly upset. His right hand straight away reached for his green bum bag strapped behind his shoulder and pulled out a wooden medium sized musical instrument. “Wanna hear me play the kalimba?”

At once, Alicia brightened up and sat closer to him, staring at the simple yet melodious instrument her cousin had in his possession. He played a couple of tunes, hoping that this would cheer the girl up, until a special song crossed his mind. Glancing at his aunt with a bright smile, he began flickering the metal tines, a familiar melody chiming around the room.

_"Now close your eyes, and sleep so tight. Dream of happy days."_

Bobby perked up when his aunt began to sing her lullaby. The same lullaby he memorized since she used to sing him to sleep when he was as young as Alicia back then.

_"And when you awaken, you'll see a light. That's shining so bright, like the sun's tender rays."_ The mother sang softly, brushing away the bangs covering Alicia’s eyes while lightly pulling out the sunflower hair clip to straighten her messy hair down.

_"Close your eyes, no need to see. Rest your mind in peace."_

Alicia yawned, either it was the effects of the medicine taking in or her mother's voice lulling her to sleep, the young child struggled to fight the sleepiness but eventually began to doze off. Her head was lying against her mother's shoulder as Sujin stood up and hugged her daughter closer while gently cradling her back and forth.

_"I will hold you so tight to me. And I hope that you'll dream of your days, carefree."_

Bobby smiled, watching as Alicia had fallen sound asleep in his aunt's arms and later, both disappeared into the girl’s bedroom. The heartwarming moment between a mother and her daughter, for a brief short time Bobby felt a twinge in his heart. He couldn’t deny the jealousy he felt towards Alicia to be blessed with a very loving mother, unlike the one he had though he quickly dismissed those feelings away.

Sujin had treated him the same way years before Alicia was born, she still even views him as a son even though he was merely a nephew.

Though he had always wished he was her real son.

"Bobby."

His hands had stopped flicking with the tines of the kalimba without himself realizing. At his aunt’s call, he lifted his head to where the older woman beckoned him over towards her work table and opened a small compartment, holding out an antique style pocket knife she stowed away inside the drawer for him.

"Here."

Bobby hesitated, then slowly held the silver blade by the handle. He feared he might accidentally break it but was mesmerized by the smooth texture of the object. As the two took a seat again on the sofa, his aunt pointed to a small button at the edge of the handle; a silver blade sprung open and revealed a trailing point of glinting sharp steel.

He squinted his eyes when he noticed the almost invisible carved on the silver blade, it shows her initials carved on it.

S. K.

Sujin Kheng.

"I'm giving this to you."

His mouth was agape, shocked by her words. "Why?"

"So you can protect yourself. But remember, never ever-”

Recalling the exact advice his uncle had sternly reminded him once before, he enthusiastically ended her sentence, “Fight violence with violence.”

Surprised by the brief intrusion, an amused smile curled on the older woman’s lips, “Unless?”

“If it's only intended for self-defense!” Bobby beamed proudly, a memory of him observing his aunt and uncle sparring sessions before came into his mind.

It was those times when Alicia hadn’t yet come to the world, where it used to be just the three of them. The times when he wasn’t allowed to go to school so he ended up working at Ah Jing’s restaurant to fend for himself and occasionally Sujin and Alex would spare some time from work to teach any basic knowledge a boy his age needed to know.

Self-defense was one of the first things he learned from the couple, the techniques he’s been practicing with Ah Jing in order to protect himself when no other grown up would protect him in his stead especially against his mother and brother.

“That’s my boy.” Sujin praised affectionately, planting a soft kiss on the boy's forehead.

While Bobby was preoccupied analyzing the sharp blade, Sujin looked conflicted at the thought of him relying on the blade alone to defend himself, especially from her abusive sister.

This boy, this poor boy is supposed to spend his childhood like the rest of the kids. Going to school, make friends, grow up and chase his future dreams.

Bobby had none of that.

Granted, Sujin too had lived the same life Bobby endured for years. Being the oldest daughter, she spent an entirety of her youth trying to raise and protect her younger sister - Bobby's mother - they only had each other so she never thought about herself other than catering to her sister's needs.

Until a light of hope came to her life and gave her another chance at making things right- finally by her own choice and no one else’s.

As her gaze lingered on the young boy, she briefly glanced at her laptop then back to him and a thought occurred to her. Then, maybe, just maybe, she could change that. Sujin had come to acknowledge she could just have taken Bobby under her care, providing him a better life too.

Even Alex had personally discussed with her regarding the young boy, the potential he has for a brighter future, so then, why not?

"Thank you for this gift, Yi ma! I'll take very good care of it from now on!" Bobby beamed at his aunt, snapping the pointy area shut and carefully tucking the blade in his back pocket.

"Say Bobby," The woman started gently caressing his hair, giving a warm smile to the innocent boy, "Do you want to live with us?"

Bobby blinked, taken by surprise by the question, "W-What?"

"Live with us," Sujin repeated, gesturing to the semi-vacant apartment, "Not actually here but your uncle and I decided to move somewhere safer once we're done with our work."

Right. Her work had been her first and foremost priority, the only reason why she hesitated to bring him in. So if she can get done with it as soon as possible then filling up the adoption paper for Bobby would be the next on her to-do list.

"You don't have to live with your mother anymore. You can stay with us."

"Y-You really mean it...?"

"Of course my little sunshine."

Stunned, he couldn't find the right word to respond. The raising hope he had wished all those years to be a part of her family- a real family. Away from the stinking gutters. Away from his ruthless mother. Away from his brute brother.

And start a new life with his aunt's family instead.

A real peaceful _normal_ life he had prayed for years.

Sujin smiles, the same bright warm smile that always eases the boy down from the anxiety and fear he dealt in his everyday life, the smile he wants to treasure forever, "Would you like to be Alicia's big brother from now on?"

Tears pooled his eyes, blurring his vision and overwhelmed with emotions, he jumped into his aunt’s arms, hugging the woman tightly as if he was afraid she’d disappeared from his sight right that moment.

"Yes! Absolutely yes! I'd love to mom!" Unable to fight back the tears streaming down his cheeks, he sobbed in her embrace, “I promise I’ll be a good son! I’ll be a good brother to Alicia too! I promise!”

The woman too was on the verge of crying but she blinked the tears away to return the hug as firmly to comfort the crying boy. _Mom_. Her heart warmed when the boy uttered that word, she had always viewed Bobby as her son, despite what people will say, Sujin had two children now.

Bobby and Alicia.

And she vowed, she would provide them with the best life they both deserved.

All the while patting his back to calm him down, she noticed the kalimba lying on the couch beside Bobby, unconsciously she began to hum to her lullaby from earlier.

_"Oh my dear child, I love you and I'll keep you safe. I'll hold you close so you'll never know pain."_ She sang again, more softly this time while lightly wiping away the tears from his face and caresses Bobby’s cheek, _"Because my child, the world can be cruel and so cold, but a flower can bloom in the thorns."_

Bobby nudges his cheek against her hand, his cries gradually coming to a stop as he listens to her soothing voice. _"Oh my dear child, I love you and I hope you see. No matter what comes or when you must leave."_

He had cried too much, out of relief and indescribable happiness that his head began spinning from a light dizziness. As his aunt- no, his mom, held him closer, his mind slowly relaxed and dreamland awaits the hopeful boy.

_"That I still love you, and hope that you're happy today."_

His eyelids grew heavier, a grateful smile curled on his lips as her voice lulled him deeper into slumber, _"I pray, and I pray, that you'll remember…"_

The last thing he heard before drifting off to sleep was his aunt's voice echoing tenderly in his mind.

"I promise, my little sunshine, I will set you free."

🌻🌻🌻🌻🌻🌻🌻🌻

"Bobby."

"Big brother, wake up."

"Bobbyyyyy!"

Bobby awoke with a start, startled by the voice of his cousin whining for the boy to wake up. Alicia kept shaking his shoulders, getting fussier while rubbing her stomach.

"Bobby, I'm hungry."

The older cousin blinked, groggy and disoriented having to be woken up so abruptly. He glanced at the analog clock hanging on the wall, it was near 8pm. It’s that late already huh.

Slowly regaining his consciousness, he was surprised by the familiar interior of his cousin’s bedroom, while Alicia was sitting on the edge of the bed, her legs barely touching the ground, Bobby was lying on the carpeted floor with a fluffy pillow and a thick blanket draped loosely on his figure.

His brows furrowed in confusion, had his aunt carried him into the bedroom? Though seeing as how his aunt wasn't there, he assumed she was preparing dinner at that moment.

The grumbling sound from the young girl's stomach made him turn to face her, realizing she had started whining again, both from the drowsiness and from hunger while her arms hugged her stomach.

Standing up for a quick stretch, Bobby quickly folded the blanket and placed it by the table and briefly patted his back pocket, making sure the blade was securely hidden there. He held a hand out for Alicia to get up on her feet. "Let's get you something to eat."

The 4 year old girl only stared at his hand before raising her arms out to him. "Carry me."

Bobby chuckled and didn’t hesitate to scoop the young child into his arms, carrying the still sleepy girl while adjusting her into a more comfortable hold as her chubby cheek rested on his shoulder. When he exited the bedroom, the lights in the living room were out, only a faint glow could be seen from the outside balcony and through the kitchen doorway.

"Everything was destroyed? How?"

"Reports came by the surveillance team just 35 minutes ago, an explosion broke through the underground facility."

Bobby stopped in his tracks when he heard the deep voice of an unknown man though he was troubled by the anxious tone in his aunt's voice.

As quietly as he could without making a single sound, he hid behind the doorway of the kitchen while still holding Alicia up close in his arms. He took a small peek and caught glimpses of the unknown man while his aunt sat across him by the dinner table, holding out a glass of cold water towards the distraught looking mysterious man.

"Surviving residents are evacuating as we speak but our biggest concern now is the police involvement."

“Have you heard anything from Alex? Wasn't he a part of the operation today?"

“None. Last transmission from Raksha stated he infiltrated the building without prior notice. Damnit, if I had known this would happen, I wouldn't have left my post."

A long unnerving silence befall the two adults, both lost in their distressed thoughts and completely unaware of the two children standing nearby in hiding. Alicia raised her head slightly when she realised Bobby had stood still, unmoving. She shifted her gaze from him to the kitchen, eyes widened in surprise when she spotted the familiar man talking with her mother.

"Oh, it's Dr.Noah." Alicia mumbled sleepily, recognizing the man as they both peered from behind the wall.

"Dr.Noah?"

"Yea. He always gives me and big sisters at the hospital strawberry lemon candies."

Bobby pursed his lips, deep in thought. A fellow doctor of his aunt's colleagues at work. Something didn't feel quite right, why would a fellow doctor come here at this hour? And what was this talk about? Explosion? Police? Operation? Where was his uncle?

Questions after questions filled his mind, his gut telling him that he needed to do something or else something was going to go terribly wrong. Unfortunately, he couldn’t think of anything and kept his focus on eavesdropping their conversation, he needed to understand what was happening and prayed deep in his heart that nothing bad would happen to his family.

"Bobby? Why are we hiding?" Alicia tugged his hair lightly, but the boy placed a finger on his lips, sushing the girl to stay quiet. He focused his ears into listening to the conversation, trying to comprehend what was going on.

"-among the few who were given all access to the facility levels. Could Choa have-"

"No." Noah cuts her sentence off, getting the gist of where her words were implying and his eyes were blazing with such intensity that it stunned the older woman. "I'm positive she had nothing to do with this."

Sujin sighed, a weighted sound that brought a frown to Bobby’s face, and then she spoke stoically, her tone had an air of authority in it. "That's a biased judgement to conclude given the fact we have zero knowledge of the dire situation right now."

Noah froze, momentarily clouded by his emotions and he heaved a frustrated sigh, his hand flew over his head and gripped his hair tightly, "I-I'm sorry… It's just… I know her El! She would never- you know how much she loved them- Why would she-" He paused, distress shadowing his eyes and fear tightened in Bobby’s stomach at the man’s next words.

"T-This is j-just… s-suicidal…"

Tired of being ignored by Bobby but more so frustrated over the adult's puzzling conversation, Alicia wiggled out from her cousin's hold to stand on her own two feet. Before she could interrupt the solemn meeting by entering into the kitchen, a soft knock on the front door caught her ears, but it seemed to have gone completely deaf to Bobby and the two adults. Curious, the 4-year-old girl began heading straight towards the door knob instead.

Sujin softened at his frantic outburst, staring at the man with pity eyes as she reached a hand out to comfort him but he withdrew back from her. "Noah, calm down."

"Choa would never betray us.” He pressed on, daring himself to defend regarding someone who has yet to prove her innocence. “She pledged her loyalty to us from the very beginning. She wanted to end the project more than anything, she said so herself. Remember? I'm sure, this isn't her doing!"

Bobby bit back a gasp as he witnessed his aunt, for the first time ever, snapped as she charged forwards at the man, grabbing him by the collar and snarling furiously, “This isn’t time to dwell on sentiments! Did you even stop to think about the victims involved in the explosion?! We should be aiding help right now than talking about this!"

“But Eli-”

Noah halted when his gaze darted to Bobby, his every limbs stood frozen to his spot when he finally took notice of the boy peering from the wall. Bobby briefly freezes up having been caught, but then stared defiantly back at him, distrust written all over his face.

"O-Oh, I didn't know we had guests." Noah’s gaze slid back to the woman, a nervous smile spread on his lips.

“B-Bobby?” Sujin quickly regained her composure, her anger dispersed seeing her nephew and instantly letting go of her hold on the man, “Is Alicia still asleep?”

It was only then Bobby realise the girl wasn’t beside him anymore, “She-”

A high-pitched scream of terror reverberated the walls, Bobby swiveled around towards the source of the voice while the two adults dashed out to the hallway. Everyone held their breaths at the sight of Alicia thrashing around in a stranger's grip who held a gun on the side of the girl's forehead.

“H-Hu'i,” Sujin stammered, dread building inside of her when the woman, the person she had met at work a couple of times before, held her daughter as hostage, “What are you doing?”

"You know exactly what I'm doing." The woman sneered darkly, her hand pressed the barrel of the gun harder against Alicia’s skull, causing the girl to break into fits of hysterical sobs and screaming her lungs out for her mother.

"M-Mommy! I'm scared!"

Bobby grew tense, his hands instinctively grabbing for the blade behind his pocket but paused. What should he do in this situation? Alicia's life was on the line and he couldn't risk making a mistake that would result in a bullet hole through her head. Glancing at his aunt, she appeared twice as terrified for her daughter when her wails grew louder.

Bobby gritted his teeth in desperation. He needed to do something.

The boy watched as Noah took a few steps forward but halfway stopped when the woman almost pulled the trigger. The older man lets out a shaky breath, "Hu'i, don't involve an innocent child in this."

A mocking smile was plastered on the woman's face as her body slightly swayed to the side, never once losing grip on the frightened girl, "This little slut's daughter is nothing compared to the countless lives at the hospital and it's all because of you."

His brows furrowed in confusion, hands raised up in an attempt to make peace with the dangerous woman, "What are you talking about?"

"Oh you can drop that façade, _traitor_." The woman tightened her grip around the girl, close to choking oxygen out of the crying child but she didn't show any remorse at all. Instead her burning glare was fixed on the two apprehensive adults, "We were close, so damn close to perfecting those children. Project: P.E.R.F.E.C.T would have reached _absolute perfection_ if you hadn't tampered with Yanjie and Choa's work. Everything is ruined because of you scumbags."

Utterly stupefied by the perplexing situation, Bobby shifted his attention to grab his blade and as slowly as possible to not get caught, he unfolded the pocket knife to showcase the sharp edges of the blade. He had practiced his precise sight throwing skills even within the dimmed hallway back at his home, it was enough for him to angle his weapon from below. While the woman had her full attention on the two adults, Bobby calculated his steps in his mind.

_‘Focus on the obvious weak points’_

Ah Jing’s voice rang in his mind, his eyes locking to the vulnerable skin of the woman’s hands.

Meanwhile Sujin and Noah had turned pale as white. Their covers had been exposed and none of them knew how. They were sure not to leave any traces behind to indicate their connection to the outsiders. Had someone sold them out when they were so close to uncovering the truth?

But who?

"I'm going to dispose of you two once and for all. Then everything will go back the way it was supposed to be." Hu'i grinned wickedly, unaware of Bobby twirled the blade in one swift motion and it levitated mid-air.

"Time to say goodbye to mommy."

Noah reached for his metal staff attached to the side of his belt but halted when a small object flew past from behind his shoulder, the edge of the sharp blade stabbed through the woman's hand, causing her to drop her gun. The man looked behind just the right time Bobby had sprinted past him, rushing to Alicia's side as the child crawled away from the cursing woman.

"Damn brat!" The woman cursed, growling at Bobby as she clutched her bleeding hand, it trembled from the pain of the sharp blade and she forcefully pulled it out, attempted to hurl it back towards him but her throw was weak and Bobby easily caught it back in his grasp. Droplets of her blood spilled on the floor and her other hand went to grab her gun, though instead of aiming at them she suddenly bolted out from the scene, leaving everyone puzzled by her actions.

Sujin, however, brushed it aside for now and rushed to Bobby and Alicia's side, bringing both children into her arms in an embrace, a choked sob escaped her lips.

"Thank God." Sujin sniffled in relief, "Thank God, you're alright."

Bobby leaned his head on his aunt's shoulder and patted Alicia's back in an effort to console the crying girl. When he briefly looked up, Noah gave a friendly smile and a thumbs up at the surprised boy.

"Smart thinking, kid. That was impressive." Noah gestured at the blooded blade to which Bobby merely smiled awkwardly in return, flustered and obviously not used to receiving praises from a complete stranger.

Fishing out his phone from his pocket, Noah had sent a quick message to his team regarding Hu’i but he grew relentless how he had yet to received any message from Alex nor his other teammates at all for the past minutes and that made him feel uneasy. Out of all days he was off duty from work, it just had to be today when an unexpected accident had occurred at the hospital.

Concerned over his teammates, but his heart goes out to the woman that was supposedly behind the explosion.

What was she thinking?

"It's not safe here," Sujin's voice drew him out from his muddled thoughts, "We need to leave now."

Noah opened his mouth to suggest the safest place for them, until a gunshot pierced through the silent night.

Blood arced across the wall, a few drops scattered across Bobby's face and as if time slowed down, he could only watch in horror as Noah's body collapsed right in front of him - so close he could almost feel the motionless man’s hand touch his quivering toes.

Sujin gasped, holding back her screams as her eyes frantically searched around the area. A second shooter?! But where?!

Another gunshot was fired but it shot multiple bullets through the doors and walls.

Holding her screaming daughter in one hand, she yanked her paralyzed nephew up to his feet, rushing all of them into one of the furthest bedrooms and quickly locking the door shut. Her eyes scanned for a route of escape from the outside shooter.

"That Hu'i is useless as ever." A distant male voice could be heard from outside, his boots thudded against the floorboards. "Always leaving all the dirty work to me. Heh, no matter. RM10,000 for one head, your corpses would make me rich in no time."

Bobby began hyperventilating, the word _corpses_ sent his mind reeling from a terrifying memory when his mother almost sold him off to the black market years ago like how she had done to his other _siblings_ before. His aunt had managed to talk it out with his mother and saved his life but this time they were trapped. They were gonna die. They won’t survive. They-

"Bobby!" Sujin hissed quietly, bringing the boy out from his panicking state and urged him towards a sliding window that would lead them to the outside ventilation area of the back apartment stairs.

"Listen to me, you need to leave with Alicia, now!" She demanded, helping him up over the opened window, though the boy hesitated, concern over his aunt's safety more than anything.

"B-But what about you?!"

"I'll be right behind you, don't worry." Sujin sounded more hopeful than convincing as she placed her trembling daughter in Bobby's arms.

Alicia gripped the woman's long sleeves, staring up at her mother with teary eyes, "M-Mommy..."

"Shush my sunshine," Sujin cooed softly, pressing a quick kiss on her forehead and Bobby's as well, "Everything will be alright. Trust your big brother, okay?"

Alicia whimpered but nodded in understanding, hugging Bobby tightly for fear she might fall from his hold.

Sujin tucked the blooded blade inside the back of his pocket, giving him a firm and stern look, "Don't look back and run until you find help, okay?"

When Bobby didn't respond, still hesitant to leave her behind, Sujin finally mustered up a brave smile, albeit a faint one to assure her nephew. "Stay alive for me."

Without waiting for his reply, Sujin lightly pushed Bobby out and closed the window shut. For a brief moment, he couldn't move a muscle but at the sound of his cousin's quiet cries, he decided to push forward and made his way down the rickety staircase.

If all else fails, at the very least, he needed to protect Alicia at all cost.

When they reached the bottom ground, he broke into a sprint past the night street lights. They barely made it across the other street when another gunshot was heard from the distance. Hot tears spilled from his eyes as he clutched onto his cousin, a part of him wanted to run back to his aunt but another part of him needed to save his cousin.

Bobby pushed himself to run faster, even when he was fighting for breath not only from the weight of carrying Alicia but the gruesome sight of Noah's lifeless body bathed in his blood that burned vividly into the depth of his mind.

Blinded by his panic, he didn't pay any heed to his surroundings as he ran to the other side of the road, unaware a lone car was speeding towards their direction.

Alicia was the one who saw the incoming car. Gasping as she clenched her fingers onto Bobby's shoulder, her shriek shocking the boy, "Watch out!"

Bobby lost his balance in his steps and tripped in the middle of the road, still holding onto his dear cousin tightly and both brace themselves for the impact but it didn't come. The vehicle's tires screeched loudly and stopped a few inches away from the shaken children.

"Bobby? Alicia?"

A familiar face emerged from the car, relief washed over Bobby when he finally saw his uncle. Though that was short-lived at the hasty blooded bandaged encased around his shoulder.

"D-Daddy..." Tears bubbled up from Alicia's eyes, trickling down her cheeks at the sight of her father. Pushing herself off the ground, she ran towards him, her cries made the father quicken his pace to hold her close. Though she lost complete consciousness the moment she slumped into his arms, the shock of the nightmare must have taken a toll on her mental state to have her knocked out cold right instantaneously.

The other car door opened where another man got out from the driver's seat, eyes widened in panic at the unconscious young girl in Alex's arm and blooded boy that sat frozen on the road.

"Hey," He crouched down beside Bobby, scanning for any wounds on the boy's body, "Are you alright?"

Alright? He was far from alright but compared to the adults, he didn't sustain any more serious injuries. A slight graze of his knee from the fall was nothing when the man from earlier crossed his mind, he could hear the painful ringings in his ears as his head began to throb.

"D-Dr. Noah." Bobby inhaled sharply, the sound of the gunshots passed his mind once more, feeling the dread sunk in the pit of his stomach, "H-He was shot."

At the name of his comrade, the man didn’t waste any moment and left Bobby's side, running straight towards the apartment complex. Ignoring the shout of his friend who struggled to carry his daughter with his current injury.

Bobby struggled to stand on his feet, still shaken by everything that had transpired.

"Y-Yi zhang…" Bobby hesitantly called out to the older man, after helping him carry Alicia inside the passenger seat of the car, "What's going on-"

"It's best if you just leave, Xiaolang. I'll take care of everything from here." Alex's cold voice stunned him, the man didn't even spare a glance at the frightened boy. His words hurt as much as the decision of him leaving his aunt behind just moments ago.

Why... Why did his uncle appear so calm and unfazed by the whole situation...?

What's going on? Why won't anyone tell him anything?

"But why…"

"Why? Isn't it obvious? I can’t protect you and Alicia at the same time, so you need to leave!"

Dread began to fill Bobby's heart, feeling betrayed by the man whom he had viewed as his father figure would cast him away like this. He understands that Alicia is biologically his daughter, so it was fair why he would prioritize her safety over him.

But still,

Does this mean… he never ever viewed Bobby a part of the family at all?

Was it all just pretence? Those years of caring for his well being and sharing his knowledge with the boy - now meant nothing to him?

Was he meant to be born unwanted and unloved by everyone he was beginning to trust?

Just why...

"Leave, now."

Bobby took one last glance at his uncle and cousin then without another word, quickly turned around the corner, going back to the hellhole was the only option he had left.

Clutching the blooded blade he had taken out from his pocket as a protection charm close to his chest, he ran through alleyway to alleyway towards the district of his home. Fearful for his life, he'd occasionally looked behind his shoulder to see if someone was following him and soon after, he found himself out of breath and sitting on the ground outside of Ah Jing's restaurant.

His legs gave out within seconds, his body hadn't stopped trembling from the events that had occurred earlier and he ignored the passersby whispering and pointing at his direction.

Everything was too much for him to take in.

"Boy? What are you doing out here?" Ah Jing approached the young boy when one of his staff had informed of the boy's sudden appearance outside the restaurant.

Ah Jing's voice went unheard from Bobby's ears. His thoughts were filled by the gunshots and his uncle's hurtful last words.

He closed his eyes shut, praying this was all a dream and that he was still sleeping soundly in his cousin's bedroom, his aunt was still making dinner and his uncle just came back from work.

That none of this horrifying event ever happened at all.

"Haiya boy, are you even listening to me?"

Even when Ah Jing swatted his cane lightly on the boy's sides, Bobby still didn't budge from his spot and sat immobile. Sighing in defeat, the old man kneeled down on one knee on the ground so he could get a closer look of the boy. It was then he noticed the red spots on his face.

"Wait… what is this...?" Ah Jing swiped one of the droplets from Bobby's cheek, the liquid that looked far from red paint and smelt like actual blood. The old man's face hardened in seriousness, "Xiaolang, what happened?"

That was the last straw. Without even intending too, his body lunged forward and threw up in front of the shocked old man. Emptying out everything in his system even though he hadn't had dinner at all.

Nor did he even get the chance to eat his aunt's cooking that day.

No… Not anymore.

A sob scratched at the inside of his throat, everything was painful to him to bear and he just wanted to numb everything till he could feel no more.

Today was supposed to be the happiest day of his life.

The hope that today was the turning point to escape from his miserable life, only to turn out to be the most despairing day ever to have scarred his mind for the rest of his lifetime.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Chinese Honorifics:  
> *Yi ma = Aunt  
> *Yi zhang = Uncle  
> *Gēge = Brother
> 
> Inspiration for lullaby:  
> *Isabella's lullaby covered by Mew on YouTube


	2. Little Wolf of the Spades

_5 years later._

The district of Layang Valley street was swarming with unruly wretched human beings Xiaolang despised to the core.

From where he sat, on the wide windowsill of the second floor, he glared down towards the rowdy drunkards going maniacal around the outdoor food stalls located just opposite of his home, an antique jewellery shophouse.

If you could even call this bloody place a home in this kind of environment.

The 16-year-old teen frowned at the deafening cheers and shouts coming from the drunkards, each individual grouped up in their isolated packs. The clinking sounds of glass bottles of alcohol, spouting delirious nonsense and curse words at each other, and some idiots deciding to start wrestling in the middle of the damned street - Xiaolang rubbed his temple, he could feel an oncoming headache growing.

Why can't these heathens spend the night sleeping instead of ruining his peaceful time to recuperate for his next work?

Shifting his gaze up at the dark starless night sky, he brought a lit cigarette close to his mouth, feeling that temporary surge of relief as he puffed out a long smoke. His brows creased in frustration as he pushed away the anxiety raising in the pit of his stomach.

Another day of surviving as it is.

Without even glancing at his watch, he knew time was ticking close for him to leave the place. However, he has yet received a call to retrieve his currently modified vizard. Without the mask, Xiaolang would be left vulnerable if their enemies caught sight of him.

The Spades relied heavily on him to carry out their work for that night. He was the gang's best combatant, the one always sent head-on whenever a threat gets in their way of completing their task.

Said threat wasn't even the city police, but these strange unknown groups of bright colour suit people, equipped with advanced weapons that leaves the Spades at an extremely low disadvantage. They certainly weren't rival gangs because they didn't seem interested in the goods the Spades had smuggled and stole, instead, they were keen on apprehending the Spades members.

Whoever those people were really got on Xiaolang's nerves. If it weren't for them, he wouldn't have been put under intense pressure to fulfill his task. He can't recall the last time he could ever go out for a short trip to the convenience store without sweating out of paranoia and constantly be on high alert that they've managed to track down their whereabouts.

Suddenly, there was a loud crash, followed by a bang and a howl of laughter and it wasn't from the crowds outside the streets. No, Xiaolang's ears caught it coming from outside his bedroom door, and it was all too familiar.

Familiar enough for him to reach for his sharp-edged blade attached on the side of his belt and as if it was a daily occurrence to do, he aimed it directly towards the door.

"WAKEY WAKEY XIAOLANG! TIME FOR A ROUND OF-"

The intruder that came barging in uninvited into the bedroom didn't have the chance to finish his words when a blade flew straight at him, nearly missing his throat as the object plunged into the wooden wall behind him instead.

"You seriously have a death wish, Ean." Xiaolang growled, merely watched as the guy turned paled from the sudden attack and stumbled backwards, falling on his butt.

Xiaolang's brows twitch in annoyance. Does this moron know a thing about basic forms of privacy? This idiot had made it a habit to crash into his place without informing beforehand and with a less dramatic way that **won't** give him a heart attack.

He had lost count how many times he restrained himself from strangling the guy on the spot.

Even if he hated the riotous crowd from outside, the small space of his bedroom was his only sanctuary that he would prefer to keep people away from ever stepping foot inside here.

"Don't worry, you're not dead- _yet_." Came another voice, a serene one unlike Ean's boisterous chatter as the new figure stood by the doorway. 

Zhen chuckled at Ean, who was frantically rubbing his neck to check if he was already a dead soul but the older guy's words snapped him back to reality and he heaved a long sigh of relief.

Pulling out the blade from the wooden wall, Zhen tossed it back to Xiaolang, a mild amusement crossed his features. "Ease up, _little wolf._ We gotta keep this big guy alive for tonight's errand."

"Yeah!" Ean whined, shook off from his stupor and scrambled to his feet, "Relax buddy! It's Independence day so let's partayyy!"

Xiaolang's eyes narrowed, finally noticing the bottle of liquor in Ean's left hand while his other free hand held the door frame wide open, his movement faintly swayed in an odd manner. 

Independence Day? Party? He scoffed at that. Why celebrate such useless things when none of them are truly free in this oppressed gang?

As far as he recalled, most of them joined unwillingly and stayed only for the profits they've gained.

And none can leave that easily.

"If he's drunk during this assignment, consider himself dead." Xiaolang dissed, taking another huff of his cigarette.

“Pssh. I’m not that drunk.” Ean argued casually and chugged the whole bottle down till it's last drop, “I have high tolerance for alcohol y'know.”

“Sure you do.”

“I’m serious!”

Xiaolang raised a brow at Zhen in which the older guy returned with a nonchalant shrug. All their years working together, the two had made a silent agreement that Ean was undoubtedly a pain in the ass. 

Sure, his dexterity in hot-wiring stolen vehicles had saved them a bunch. However, with the mysterious group hot on their tails since the start of the new year, Xiaolang wasn’t sure if Ean was aware how serious of a threat these unknown people are against their gang.

Oh, who is he kidding? 

Ean never takes things seriously even at the cost of his life.

Taking one last huff of his cigarette before throwing it into the ashtray, Xiaolang rose from his seat but then drew to a stand when something caught his eyes.

From across the streets, down just a few blocks from Ah Jing's restaurant, he spotted a familiar lone girl being crowded by three older men who each had their significant beastial masks on disguising their face - the symbolism of a Spades member.

"For Christ's sake." Xiaolang gritted his teeth, both hands grabbed the windowsill and without a beat of hesitation, he leaped out from the second floor building, ignoring Zhen & Ean's shout.

He landed on the ground with ease, momentarily shocking some patrons that were standing idly outside but he paid them no attention. His only focus was to stop whatever the hell Baozi was going to do to one of his most valuable tech girl in the gang.

"I gave you what you needed, now let me go!" The girl yelled furiously, struggling to peel her arms away from one of the men wearing the snake mask.

Her cries went deaf to the man and other onlookers's ears, he yanked her closer to his body and lowered his vizard down his chin, staring deep into her eyes with a despicable hungry look that sent cold shivers down her spine. "Then as a token of gratitude, allow me to repay you for your hard work."

Baozi tilted his head to his two men towards the frightened girl but was interrupted when someone gripped his hand, evidently turning his attention away from his object of lust to a scowling boy that was twice as younger than he was.

"How many times do I have to tell you punks," Xiaolang seethed, his death grip nearly crushed Baozi's wrist, "Jenny is off limits."

"Xiaolang…" The said girl had a relieved smile on her face at the sight of her savoir and she immediately rushed to hide behind the teenage boy. Even though he appeared shorter than she was, Xiaolang emitted quite the spiteful aura around him that made a few people cower away for fear a blood bath would occur.

Baozi clicked his tongue, harshly jerked his hand away and shot a dirty glare at the shorter boy. His voice dripped with sarcasm as he spoke, "Ah yes, how can I forget, she's your toy."

"Don't lump me with the likes of you bastards. I'm nothing like you." Xiaolang barked, ready to throw a punch if Jenny hadn't held him back.

"Xiaolang, no!" Jenny firmly clutched her hands around the raging boy's left arm, refusing to allow him to start a fight with the older man despite how much she loathes him to her very bones.

She can't afford tonight's assignment to be affected just because of some measly issue between the members. Though she knew, for Xiaolang it was no trivial thing. Disrespecting Jenny meant disrespecting the boy too and Xiaolang was having none of it.

"Oh don't tell me you haven't slept with her yet after what, three years of owning her? Are you sure you're a man down there?" Baozi's lackeys snickered, taunting eyes looking down at the fuming boy.

Xiaolang clenched his fist, "You son of a-"

"Easy now."

Zhen and Ean came to stand on each Xiaolang and Jenny's side, appearing protective as they glared back at the older three. Both men briefly glanced at the angry boy and cowering girl, standing a step forward to shield the two away from Baozi and his pack.

"We still have half an hour to prepare so if you want to play around some more then by all means, the brothel is right behind you." Zhen disinterestedly pointed towards the direction of the said bordello.

"Also," Ean smirked menacingly as he took a few steps closer to Baozi, casually placing a hand on his shoulder and spoke in a low voice, "You wouldn't want to upset Master Jiaolong now, would you?"

There was a flash of distaste and fear in Baozi's eyes as he shrugged Ean's hand off his shoulder. The mention of his boss's name immediately repressed his intentions to piss the young boy off.

Every matter concerning Xiaolang would have to come through Jiaolong first.

Or in this case, his _wrath_ if one dared to mess with his dearest brother.

Fixing his mask back on, Baozi turned his back away from them. "What a shame to let this virgin off without having fun with it."

_Disgusting_. That's the only word that rang in Xiaolang's mind as he watched the older men leave the scene. 

There’s no doubt how he had come to noticed most of the male-orienated Spades members were attracted to Jenny solely for her looks, no difference from them lusting over prostitutes that lived a few blocks away within the district, but Xiaolang didn't view her as some sort of pleasure toy to play around with.

She has a far unique and special talent that Xiaolang viewed crucial for the gang's survival. With their current situation, Xiaolang depended on her expertise on the inventions she had crafted for every Spades gang to achieve their goals. A young genius in technology, at least, the only one he had found and took her in under his protection and of course, with his mother and brother's approval.

Feeling her hold on him loosen, he glanced over his shoulder at the taller 19-year-old girl. Long bright red hair passed her waist as her shoulders drooped in relaxation when she was sure Baozi and his lackeys were completely gone from their sight.

"Are you alright, JenJen?"

She frowned at Ean's cheesy endearment, "Don't call me that."

Ean simply gave a cheeky grin, folding his arms over the back of his head and gave a playful wink, "C'mon, I was worried about you."

Jenny's lips wrinkled in distaste and she shifted closer to Xiaolang, "I don't need your concern."

"What were you thinking?" Xiaolang snapped, interrupting their conversation, "You know this area is too dangerous for you to walk around freely!"

"I-I well-," Jenny flinched, licking her dry lips and clutched her sling backpack, "I… just wanted to give your vizard back…"

"You could've just called and we'll pick it up rather than going here all by yourself." Xiaolang huffed in exasperation, his rage hasn't simmered down from Baozi's sickening insult about her.

Xiaolang could never understand why most of the people he had met within the district would treat Jenny- no, every woman in general with such lack of decency. 

Talks of pleasure and fun made Xiaolang shudder in disgust, not towards those women but those vile men who think sharing bodies with different sorts of women is something to enjoy.

And to be fair, Jenny is quite pretty for her current age, even Xiaolang would admit that. However he wasn't particularly interested in her or any other woman his brother had tried to set him up with a couple of times before.

Why would that even cross his mind?

To toy around with someone's life then throw them away like they're nothing but just specks of dust? Xiaolang was not that kind of person.

And he knew, the women in the district weren't given their own freedom. He has witnessed countless of them being sold off either by their own family or spouse and it just sickens Xiaolang to think someone would do such a cruel thing - the same fate that had also fallen on Jenny about three years ago.

Rather than to waste such talent in this forsaken district, Xiaolang took it upon himself to have her under his wing.

"You can't even protect yourself, how do you expect to stop them from harassing you?" 

Ean frowned, opened his mouth to argue but Zhen held him back, shaking his head. Being the observant one, Zhen understood Xiaolang’s anger far better than anyone would, it's because the kid cares for the girl even if he comes across as rude and bratty.

"I know that but still..." Jenny trailed off, a small grateful smile curled on her lips as she stared at the younger boy, "I'm sure you'll come save me like you always have, Xiaolang."

The twinkle of admiration and awe in her eyes made him frown in discomfort.

He hated it.

He hated having people relying on him for everything; their dirty work, their protection, their survival.

He hated weak people like her for allowing the strong to stomp against them like tiny useless insects.

But what about him?

No one in the Spades genuinely cared about him, they only stuck by his side to prevent getting their throats sliced open if they went against Jiaolong's orders. None of them are truly safe and free, not in this gang, not in this district, not everywhere to be precise.

Everyone is shackled down to serve their masters like obedient dogs they were forced to be.

"Pathetic." Xiaolang brushed past her, walking back to the jewelry shop while the other three silently followed him from behind.

Having been used to Xiaolang's hostility, Jenny wasn't at all offended. She simply beamed happily despite the boy's hot-tempered attitude. Her eyes gazed over the deliberate beast tattoo emboldened on his upper left shoulder, it marked the power Xiaolang possessed over the separate pack of Spades members given under his order. Even though he was just a mere 16-year-old teenager, Jenny knew better than to get on his bad side and Zhen and Ean were among those loyal to the kid.

But for others?

They never liked the idea of a rascal like him having greater influence over the gang than they do, and trusting in the kid would feel like a fatal flaw that none of them could ever bring themselves to accept.

Even when the authority was passed down to him through family ties, the older gangs still deemed Xiaolang unworthy of the spot.

All because Xiaolang wasn’t as near as merciless unlike his mother and brother. 

The four Spades members entered at the backspace of the jewelry shophouse, heading towards the enclosed area stocked with boxes and other materials. Passing through another door to another storeroom that had been reconstructed as Xiaolang's personal training room, equipped with a thick punching bag, boxing gloves and an iron dumbbell set.

"Speaking of which, I've made special upgrades on your vizards!" Jenny excitedly rummaged through her sling bag, pulling out three different designed masks: Ox, Fox and Wolf. 

Ean, Zhen and Xiaolang each took their masks, analysing the object up close and while it didn't look much different from the last time they used it, they had noticed something etched into said masks when Jenny hold the wolf designed vizard, angling it to the side to reveal two built-in buttons. Upper for night vision, lower for thermal cam. Jenny had spent the next 20 minutes explaining the specifications on each mask, implemented with extra functions that work great for long distance and close views. Added with autofocus and stabilization, it won't affect their sight even if they move around continuously or get flung around like a rag doll.

At that, Zhen stifled a laughter while Ean scratched his head in confusion, unable to understand her words, "What's the difference?"

Jenny sighed, irritated, "Night vision so it'd be easy to navigate through the dark surrounding while the thermal cam focuses on detecting incoming live forms through heat signature even if they're hidden somewhere far from your sight."

Giving up on explaining to Ean when Zhen offered to pinpoint the importance of the functions, Jenny instead turned her full attention on Xiaolang, a giddy smile on her face as she thought of the invention she had spent 4 months straight crafting for the boy. "Give it a try." 

Xiaolang slung the mask over his face, his vision was limited due to the darkness from the small space and dimmed light coming from the supposed eye socket. Until he switched on the night vision, something flickered into view then seconds later, he could see the surroundings clearly as he walked around while at it. He hummed thoughtfully at the device, nodding in satisfaction when he switched to thermal vision as the tool at once discerned a couple of people outside the private room by observing their infrared signatures moving about. This would definitely boost their agility if they were able to locate those mysterious people’s whereabouts first before they could capture any of the Spades members tonight.

“What are the chances of us running into those clowns again?” Ean questioned, hopping on the adjustable workout weight bench.

“Clowns?”

"They look like clowns to me, with that hideous getup and all."

Contrast to Spades’s pitch black outwears, those clowns - as Ean’s graciously called them- appeared strangely bright as each donned different colour schemes of red, blue, yellow and white.

That certainly raises a question in Xiaolang’s mind. They weren’t exactly trying to be discreet about their identities, hell, he could remember some of their faces during their past encounters. He had spent months trying to gain any information regarding those clowns but it led to a dead end.

Ruling out their connection to the police and involvement with other gangs, the only presumption left of those clowns were linked to undercover spies for some shady organisation intended to bring the Spade down.

Another question filled his mind.

Why?

They weren’t affiliated with the government as rumours had spread down in the underground world, so why are they so determined to set their target on the Spades when there’s other criminals on the loose?

For instance, Abang Bear with his lowlife lackeys and Madam Khoo with her neon accomplices. Those two older gangs have been on the rise far longer than the Spades - so what’s an insignificant drug dealer syndicate could compare to notorious gangs who steal high techs?

If anything, Xiaolang believed, it’s up to the police to pursue them down.

Not those clowns.

"We've been laying low for quite some time now. If they do appear tonight then someone probably snitched us out." Zhen stared into the distance, his expression turned grim as he recalled his own encounter with one of the older clowns, a tall older woman dressed in blue who had managed to grab a hold of two of former Spades members months prior, "After Yuan and Theo, I don't want to lose another member tonight."

"That's the thing ," Jenny bit her lips nervously, her hands brushing against the leather material of the grey punching bag. Despite trying to assure herself she had done her part in helping the Spades but it still wasn't enough, "We don't even know who we're dealing with here." 

Ean pressed his lips into a thin line, mulling over the issue seriously, or rather tried to appear so. "Lucas won't disclose anything to you either, Xiaolang?" 

The said boy shook his head, his mind drifted off to one of the intel broker associates of his in the Red Tunnel. A scar faced man in his late-40 masquerading as a bartender and someone Xiaolang would not cross under any circumstances unless he wasn't given any other choices.

"He wouldn't trade me any information unless I've got something he really needs." 

Ean shot up from the bench, curious as to what juicy secrets Xiaolang had on his sleeves regarding the bartender, "What is it that he needs?"

Xiaolang rolled his eyes at Ean, "If I had known then we wouldn't be having this conversation now, do we?"

Ean laid back on the bench, grumbling incoherently while twiddling with his Ox mask. Damn this kid and his snarks.

“So the plan?” Zhen glanced at his wristwatch when it started to chime, indicating that they all needed to start prepping for their night work.

”The usual _lah_ , Baozi's pack would swap the real merchandise with a fake one. We have to buy some time to shut down the security before those clowns show up,” Xiaolang paused to grab his motorbike keys and adjusted his wolf vizard more comfortably on his face, “When the fireworks go off, that will be our cue to get the hell out from there.”

“Well then let’s get this done quickly so I can drink some more,” Ean yawned tiredly, raising up from the bench. He caught Jenny’s gaze and winked at her way, "How about a good luck kiss before I go, hmm?" 

The red-headed girl grimaced, slapping Ean’s cheeks away from getting any closer to her vicinity. “Get lost, creep.”

Ean sniffled in feigned sadness from her rejection, “One day you’re going to miss me, darling.”

Zhen faked a cough, quietly mumbling under his breath, “Highly doubt it.”

Xiaolang sighed in boredom at the older two men, unamused by the playful bantering between them. They could be annoying sometimes but, at the minimum, they’re bearable to cooperate during their work unlike the others placed under his pack, namely, Baozi’s gang.

“Get your ass to work now you morons.” Xiaolang commanded demandingly, making his way towards the back exit of the shophouse and towards the sidewalk junction.

Standing by the back door, Jenny watched as the three headed towards their individual motorbikes parked nearby the bricked building. Typically, she had to be left behind because her fighting skills were nowhere as strong as the other men. If anything, she would just slow them down or worse, jeopardize the whole assignment.

But Jenny believes she could do better; all she needed was more information, more resources, more… chances.

Taking deep breaths, she mustered all her courage and rushed to stand in front of Xiaolang’s bike, blocking his way as he took a seat on the two two-wheeled vehicle.

He gave a blank stare at her outstretched hands, “What is it?”

“Take me with you.”

Zhen and Ean gave her a bewildered look, though they stayed quiet while Xiaolang frowned as he inserted the keys into the ignition, "No.”

Jenny stepped closer towards his motorbike and pressed on, hoping to convince the young boy for she had a plan of her own, "I know I’m not a fighter but if I can attain any data on their weapons then I might find their weaknesses!"

Xiaolang deadpanned, as if hearing those words sounds the most outrageous thing she had ever said to him, "And how do you suppose to do that without getting caught?"

"By taking one of them out." Jenny pulled out two blue particle capsules stored inside a mini container out from her backpack, each containing paralyzing darts. Her plan was simple but it was no means easy. While she had indeed occupied the past months upgrading their vizards, she had also plotted some strategies of her own.

"Zhen is the best shooter here, right?” Jenny flashed a hopeful smile at the startled man, though he appeared bashful from her compliment and awkwardly turned his eyes to the handlebars instead. “I'll lure one of them away and Zhen will aim fire from afar. With one down sedated, I can get a closer look at their weapons.”

Firing up the engine, Xiaolang kicked the side stand back and balanced himself on the seat pad while pondering over her words carefully. Information on their weapons, that could lead somewhere if they could trace it back to similar weaponry that’s being manufactured illegally within the underworld market.

“I guarantee you, this is worth a shot. It’s better than nothing.”

Jenny couldn’t make out the expression Xiaolang had behind his mask, but his voice sounded emotionless as he always has been when he finally spoke, "Make no mistakes or you're dead."

Her stomach curdled at this warning, even with his eyes hidden behind the casque, she could feel them boring holes through her head if she screwed up big time.

"I'll be careful, I promise." She tried to give a confident smile to calm her nerves but froze when Xiaolang hissed vehemently in response. Not knowing her words sent an unpleasant trigger in his mind.

"I take no damn _promises_."

Stunned, Jenny swallowed hard as she confusedly glanced at Zhen and Ean who both in return gave that pity gaze. Xiaolang's short bursts of rage weren't that new to them so they weren't bothered by it as much as Jenny was.

"I-I swear. I won’t let you down.”

Pushing his motorbike forward as it stood on her side, Xiaolang jutted his thumb at the timid girl towards the empty backseat, urging her to hop on without uttering a single word. She gave a faint smile, hastily tied her long hair up into a bun and tucked it beneath a cap she carried in her backpack. Placing the capsule back safely inside, she wore her own rabbit mask over her face to conceal her identity.

None spoke a word as Xiaolang revved up the engine and drove off towards their destination with Ean and Zhen following closely behind. She hesitantly wrapped her arms around his waist when he began to speed up across the main road. Her ears whistled with the fast wind and Jenny's mind began to wander off, recollecting her thoughts regarding her plan and their work.

For the past three years she's been observing the Spades, most of them commonly operate spontaneously among themselves, focusing primarily on delivering the stolen products. But none bother to think of the threat looming just above them, waiting for the golden opportunity to strike them all down.

Depending entirely on their strengths in engaging attacks with those people isn’t going to help them in the long run.

Jenny had to make them realize that in order to destroy their enemies is to _know_ their enemies.

So she needed to make this plan of hers a success. 

Whatever it takes so she could earn Xiaolang's utmost favor.


End file.
